Storm Hawks Battle of the Clones
by ponylkb
Summary: Scientists think they've created Atmos's most powerful being but the results go far beyond anything they could have ever imagined as the Storm Hawks receive a mysterious invite by the self titled 'Atmos's greatest Sky Knight'. But after defeating Master Cyclonis can they face their greatest foes in themselves? Double the Trouble, Double the Adventure. Second in the SH series. R&R.
1. Chapter 1 Mewtwo

Many know of the ancient legend. Years ago a deadly storm raged across Atmos wiping out all but a few Sky Knight squadrons. The magical tears of those squadrons rained down and all life was restored. Now a new, very different life is about to be created. A new legend is about to be born...

Diary of Professor Johnson

New Island cloning laboratory

Day 1

Today our colleagues made an exciting discovery! Something we have been hoping to find for a long time. Deep in the jungles on Terra Amazonia in a isolated cave they came across a bone. The bone itself is very small but more importantly it was found on a makeshift alter in front of an ancient drawing that had been carved into the wall. The cave drawing showed the first and most legendary Sky Knight, Mew! I did not believe it myself when I first heard the news!. Not many records about her remain but the few that have talk of how Mew created the order of the Sky Knight and helped established the Sky Knight Academy to train them. Her powers also far exceeded all of those around her which helped establish her place in our history. One of these powers was the rarity of being an Animagus, that is to transform into a creature unique to the person which gives the possession of abilities and talents impossible in their original form. The cave drawing shows Mew as her Animagus which is a small cat like creature and, if this bone does belong to her as we suspect is does, it means we may have the chance to make scientific history!

Day 23

Today came the most surprising and unexpected news in that Terra Cyclonia has collapsed!. As for Master Cyclonis it is widely believed that she has not survived whilst her forces and followers have been left to either be arrested or flee, much like the last time she lost power. But we cannot dwell on outside distractions, not now. We are spending hours in the lab each day, barely eating and sleeping, in our determination to make this project work. We have isolated Mew's DNA from the bone and as soon as we have perfected the cloning machine we can begin attempting to create a identical copy of her. Won't it be wonderful to create new life from someone who is more of a legend than a person? It will be like giving a gift to Atmos.

Day 39

There have been arguments among the scientists over the past few days. Some members of the team, myself included, want to alter Mew's DNA in order to ensure that the clone will be even stronger than Mew was ever said to be. The others, however, say that we should leave it as it is in order to ensure that the prototype is safely created. But how can we miss the chance to improve on what nature has already proven itself able to create? If we do not take a risk and try and make the Mew clone more powerful we would not be living up to our potential as scientists.

Day 47

After much negotiation and persuasion the whole team have agreed on altering Mew's DNA. It has also been decided that the clone shall be created a the form similar to Mew's Animagus. This should give it much greater power so much so that I think this clone has the potential of becoming the most powerful living being in Atmos. We are about to undertake the greatest ever experiment to date.

Day 60

There's not much time to write tonight as we are all busy with the final stages of the cloning process. The DNA has finally been altered whilst the cloning machine is at last ready to begin it's task. We will attempt the cloning process tonight.

Day 67

It has been a tense and hectic week but we have finally got our result. We were successful!. Yes, it actually worked!. The cloning process worked!. Now the Mew clone has grown to it's full size and is fast asleep in a tank of fluid in the laboratory. We will call it Mewtwo. There is nothing left to do now but watch and wait for it to wake up. Watch and wait...

Strange images floated through the creature's mind. It saw bubbles, bubbles dancing in crystal blue water as they floated towards the sun lit surface. Then it saw an island covered in deep dark green forests with a sparkling blue lake shimmering in the middle of it. The island was floating in remote and peaceful skies that remained empty of anything else. It was a Terra. It didn't know how it knew this, the name simply came to it. Suddenly a small creature, without the aid of wings, could be seen flying through skies above the lush land mass before floating down towards it. It then saw people, many people.

The creature stirred slowly as it opened it's eyes. It found that it was floating in a glass tank which was filled with red bubbly fluid. Through the glass the creature saw a group of people standing around it. People in long white coats. _Scientists _It thought, it's mind once again coming up with and absorbing the needed information. Watching the scientists the creature saw that they were all staring at it and whispering.

"It's awake!" One of them cried. _Awake? I'm awake? _The creature thought as it looked down at it's body. It saw strong muscles awaken and tense beneath it's white fur. It did feel awake. It felt more than awake. It felt powerful. Closing it's eyes the creature wished for and imagined the tank to break into a million pieces. Almost instantly the tank around it shattered, causing the red fluid to surge out and soak the floor, leaving the creature crouched on the base of the tank.

"Where am I?" It asked, it's deep rich male voice filling the room. One of the scientists stepped forward. He was middle aged thin man with premature grey hair and a beard. It seemed he was the chief scientist as he'd ensured he was stood in the middle of the group and looked the most pleased yet the most overworked of them all.

"Mewtwo is complete!" He announced enthusiastically to his fellow scientists.

"Mewtwo?" The creature asked curiously, twitching it's purple trimmed furred tail slightly.

"That is your name" The scientist replied. "We used the most powerful Sky Knight in Atmos to create you, she was called Mew" He explained slowly and clearly, as if talking to a child. He then pointed to a chunk of stone which had been placed in a display case on the nearby wall. It was the ancient cave drawing that had been drilled out and transported back to the laboratory with the bone. Showing Mew in her Animagus form the image was of a small cat like creature with a long thin tail. Mewtwo noticed it bore a resemblance to it's own taller and more muscular form. Studying the drawing for a moment Mewtwo then narrowed it's eyes in deep thought. This was the creature from it's dreams.

"You said you used Mew to create me? What do you mean?" It asked the scientists, causing them all to beam with pride.

"It's a scientific miracle!" The chief scientist said proudly. "We used a sample of Mew's DNA to make a copy of her, a clone, and you are the result of our experiment" He explained.

"Why? Why did you do it?" Mewtwo asked.

"We wanted to see if it was possible to make a clone of the legendary Sky Knight!" He replied. "And we proved it could be done! You are that proof" He added boastfully. Confusion quickly clouded Mewtwo's mind. To it's understanding the people standing in front of it seemed do pleased with their work, their experiment. But Mewtwo didn't feel like a scientific experiment. It felt alive.

"And now what will you do with me?" It asked.

"We will study you" The chief scientist told it. "We believe you are stronger than Mew and want to find out exactly what your capable of" He explained before he turned to his colleagues as they all started congratulating each other and celebrating. Anger surged through Mewtwo. _These scientists only created me to run tests! _It thought. _They treat me like an object! But I am not an object, I am alive_! It screamed in it's head.

"I will show you what I am capable of!" Mewtwo suddenly shouted out loud as it's eyes narrowed into vicious slits. The room they were all in was filled with tanks identical to the one Mewtwo had been in and it was those that it decided to concentrate on those first. There was a terrible crashing sound as one by one the tanks shattered at it's will. The scientists began screaming in terror with some even fleeing the room as the laboratory around them descended into chaos. Their screams delighted Mewtwo as it turned it's attention to the nearby crystal generator. Instantly sparks of energy flew from it before it exploded. Soon the room was ablaze.

"Mewtwo no!" The chief scientist cried out. He was the only one of the scientists still in the burning room, perhaps thinking he could regain control of his prized creation. Frantically he scrambled for a button on the wall he was crouched against. Mechanical arms shot out from hatches in the walls and began to enclose around Mewtwo, ready to restrain it. But the creature quickly countered by creating a wave of bright blue energy that sliced the arms to metal chunks. The chief scientist quickly realised nothing else could be done to stop it now and finally ran from the room in the hope of escaping the burning building. Mewtwo watched him go before forming a large bright blue energy bubble around itself that it then used to safely pass through the roaring flames and and out of the building. Once outside, the scientists having fled on some form of transport available to them, Mewtwo saw that the laboratory was on a small island surrounded by water and not by skies as it had imagined it would have been. _This island must be on a Terra_ It thought as it noticed what looked like another much larger stretch of land on the horizon. Behind Mewtwo the charred remains laboratory were slowly being reduced to ash as angry red flames and smoke billowed out from it's structure. A feeling of power surged through Mewtwo as it turned around and saw the destruction. It decided it was a good feeling and that it liked it. Standing on the island's rocky shore Mewtwo finally dissolved it's energy bubble. It was time to start again. The laboratory it had awoken in was gone but it didn't matter because it would be rebuilt.

"Soon I will have my revenge" Mewtwo stated. "My revenge on all people!" It vowed.


	2. Chapter 2 Cliff Top Battle

The day had dawned bright clear and warm and had remained so all morning with the smell of early summer in the air. Coming to a spot near the edge of the cliff top Aerrow took in the view as he set down his rucksack on the grass besides him and breathed in deeply.

"This looks like a good spot" He called to his team over his shoulder as they came up the hill behind him.

"Good cause I can't take another step! And I'm starving" Finn moaned as he dumped his rucksack on the ground and sat down with a huff on the first flat stretch of grass he could.

"Oh Finn your always complaining!" Piper said in annoyance with a shake of her head. "But this does seem like a good spot" She agreed as she took off her own rucksack and set it down. The reason why the Storm Hawks were walking across the Terra they were currently on and why they were even on it on the first place was all due to their ship and home, the Condor. A vital part of it's crystal generator had broken which meant that the ship was left with no power and had been forced to make an emergency landing whilst the Storm Hawk's air vehicles, which ran on the same power, had been left with no way of charging up their engines. The town the Storm Hawks were heading for was the nearest place where they could purchase the needed replacement part and it had taken most of the morning to come into sight of it. But now they could see it from where they'd stopped on top of a cliff face which also overlooked the vast stretch of water that covered nearly half the Terra and tumbled over it's edge in a magnificent series of waterfalls that fell down through the cloud lines to the Wasteland below. Soon the Storm Hawks had set up a small camp table and stove and had lunch cooking, leaving them free to enjoy the calm sunny day for a while. Aerrow had sat down on the grass a short distance from the others and laid his head back to enjoy the peace, which in Atmos never seemed to last very long. He had barely closed his eyes when a loud voice boomed through the air.

"You there!" The loud confident male voice called out. Aerrow sat up and looked in curiously in the direction of the voice as the other Storm Hawks also turned their heads it's way. Five late teenage boys were coming up the hill towards them and stopped just as they reached the even ground. All of them were tall, broad and hard faced with tanned skin who were all wearing purposely worn down and ragged clothing. The middle boy had been the one who had shouted out. He had a very large and square jaw, short brown hair and a eyes that were a cold shade of blue. Like the rest of his friends his appearance was deliberatively rough with a grey frayed sleeveless vest over a T-shirt, green cargo trousers and scruffy black ankle boots. Aerrow noticed that all of them had the same emblem of a gull on an article of clothing they were wearing. "You're the Storm Hawks right?" The middle boy asked, making it clear he was the leader of the group. Without waiting for an answer he spoke again. "I saw your ship come in earlier, I'm Dannon leader of the Gulls" He said, pointing to himself then his group of friends.

"You're a Sky Knight squadron?" Ace asked in a slightly sceptical tone.

"Not officially" Dannon replied casually.

"Then your a Sky Knight?" Junko then asked him.

"Again not officially but there's no squadron on this Terra so no one stops us" Dannon said with a shrug.

"So what do you want?" Piper asked both curiously and suspiciously.

"I wanna challenge your Sky Knight" Dannon said boldly as his eyes fell upon Aerrow. "You do take challenges? Don't you?" He added confidentially. Aerrow stood up and took a good look at his challenger as he considered. Challenges between Sky Knights or squadron members had been common in times of peace and were a good and safe way of training and showing off their skills and strength to one another. Until very recently, however, protecting Atmos from Master Cyclonis had been a full time occupation on it's own and made the idea of challenges so pointless that only those with the right amount of arrogance or boredom still challenged anyone nowadays. Dannon seemed to fit this description well. Despite not being an official Sky Knight, something which did actually matter in Atmos unlike being an unofficial squadron as the Storm Hawks were, Dannon was carrying on his back a large two handed blade whilst his self-proclaimed squadron were also armed. The Gulls also gave the immediate impression that they hadn't actually take on a squadron's role of helping and policing their Terra but instead used their position, if they in fact held one, as a benefit for themselves.

"No one really challenges any more, not with all the recent trouble" Aerrow causally told Dannon.

"Yeah what with Cyclonis and all that, still it's over now and you've the time now for one quick blade fight right?" Dannon asked with another shrug as he indicated the peaceful landscape in a showy way as his friends all chuckled and grinned in agreement.

"I do but it doesn't mean I'm going to" Aerrow replied with a shrug of his own.

"Scared your going to lose to him?" One of Donnon's friends asked smugly.

"No I just don't go around accepting challenges off amateurs" Aerrow told him.

"Hey I'm no amateur! I've won against everyone I've ever taken on" Dannon boasted cockily.

"I'm sure you have but if you ever actually become a Sky Knight or proper squadron you'll learn that there's far more to it than winning challenges" Aerrow replied, getting both bored and irritated by him and his group of friends.

"That's coming from you? Your not a proper squadron either" Dannon then retaliated as he looked from Aerrow to the other Storm Hawks, who all were getting just as annoyed by his presence.

"We're not official but do actually work as one on actual missions" Piper told him.

"Yeah how'd you think Cyclonia got taken down?" Finn added defensively.

"That was months ago though so a challenge might do you some good" Dannon replied as he looked back to Aerrow who sighed in irritation.

"Fine" He agreed before turning back in the direction of his team where the rucksacks were piled up together near the table with his and the other Storm Hawks's weapons on top of them. As Aerrow was picking up his twin blades the others came closed ranks a little so they could talk.

"Your sure about this? He seems strong" Stork asked him rather nervously.

"Oh don't worry about it he's got no form and neither have the others, besides they're not going leave otherwise and I could do with the work out" He replied as he checked his blades were ready for use.

"Well make it quick I want lunch" Finn jokingly told him.

"Finn!" Piper snapped but then looked to Aerrow. "Actually Aerrow don't be long cause we need to get to town before the part store closes" She said.

"Hello? Are we doing this or what?" Dannon then called out, only irritating the Storm Hawks further.

"You get one round Dannon" Aerrow called back. "Cause that's all I'm gonna need" He added quietly with a smile to his squadron before he walked back out towards Dannon. With a satisfied smile Dannon pulled out his blade from it's sheath as they took their places opposite each other an even distance apart as the other Gulls and Storm Hawks stood watching behind their respective leaders. As Aerrow and Dannon igniting their weapons the clearing soon glowed with a mixture of light blue and grey from the weapons. It was Dannon who made the first move as he charged at Aerrow. Holding his ground to the last moment, however, Aerrow easily locked his blades with Dannon's blade and used the power of the charge to jumped over him whilst keeping his blades locked and able to unbalance Dannon's weapon as he landed. Dannon spun round to face him, his expression one of surprise.

"Impressive trick" He said, unable to keep the resentment out of his voice. That first exchange of moves set the tone for the rest of the challenge. Dannon did seem in possession of some fighting ability and strength but it was rookie and thuggish in it's deliverance and was no match for Aerrow and it had quickly frustrated Dannon to have been shown up by someone that he'd seen as an easy challenge who was younger and seemed to be enjoying himself. "That's it!" He called out in anger as he waved over to his group of friends who all suddenly readied their weapons and aimed them at Aerrow. The other Storm Hawks instantly became mad at this and went grab their own weapons to back up their leader. But it wasn't needed as both Aerrow's patience and tolerance of the Gulls had run out. Centring himself opposite the group he couldn't help but smirk as he unleashed his powerful Sky Knight move, the Lightning Claw, upon them. The energy blast knocked all five Gulls clean off their feet as they landed with a painful thud a good distance back from where they'd been stood. Dannon had gone very red in the face and looked like he was about to scream in anger as he and his friends shakily regained their feet before trying to advance towards Aerrow again. But one of his friends held him back and indicated the other Storm Hawks who were now all hostilely pointing their weapons on him and the other Gulls. Finally seeing defeat Dannon waved his group to follow him with a grunt as they made a quick exit in the direction they'd come from.

"Well that was interesting" Aerrow said with a sigh as he returned to the others and threw down his blades back on top of his rucksack.

"He didn't look to happy" Junko said as he and the others also all put away their weapons.

"I guess some people just can't take defeat" Piper said with a shrug.

"Too hotheaded" Finn added, earning an eye roll from Piper at the irony.

"Well that's what you get for stirring up trouble, anyway let's get some lunch" Aerrow said, wanting nothing more but to resume the peaceful day. None of the Storm Hawks, however, noticed the singular large bird souring high in the cloudless blue sky above them. The bird had a camera strapped to it's neck and had been using it to capture and send images of Aerrow's battle to a screen on an island in the middle of the same stretch of water seen from the cliff top where the Storm Hawks were. It was Mewtwo's island. The structure that now stood on it had been built upon the ruins of the laboratory where it had been created and now it was sat in it's control room atop a tall tower. As it watched the images of the battle on a large screen that was linked to the camera Mewtwo considered on what it was seeing. _This one is strong,_ a_ worthy opponent _It thought before it held out it's paw-like hand. A large falcon swooped through the open window, it's purple feathers turning black in the darkness of the room, and landed on the chair's armrest. Mewtwo slipped a small flat box into the pouch strapped to the bird's back and watched as the falcon flew back out of the window it had come in through and travel out across the water.

The Storm Hawks had just finished lunch and were packing up ready to carry on with their journey when a shadow swooped across the ground, clearly visible in the bright afternoon sun. Seeing this and immediately thinking it was something bad Stork gave a small yelp and jumped in fright at it. The shadow, which did not belong to anything dangerous, was in fact caused by a large falcon, which had vivid purple feathers, as it swooped overhead before it circled around and landed graceful on the camp table.

"Wow a falcon! There pretty rare to be used for messages" Piper said excitedly. The falcon then tilted it's head to show it's back where a small leather pouch was strapped to.

"Looks like there's something for us" Junko said as Aerrow reached into the pouch and pulled out the small flat box that was inside it. The lid of the box flipped open automatically as a round disk began to whir inside it as a small hologram of a young woman suddenly appeared on top of it.

"Whoa she's beautiful" Finn said as a grin appeared on his face.

"She's a hologram" Piper quickly cut in as the holographic woman began to speak.

"This message is for highly promising Sky Knights and squadrons and is an invitation to a gathering hosted by my master, Atmos's greatest Sky Knight, it will be held on New Island at the Sky Knight Palace" The woman said as her image disappeared to be replaced by a map of a Terra the Storm Hawks were on. The map then zoomed in to show a tiny island somewhere in the middle of the Terra's large area of water before the woman appeared again "There is a ferry waiting at Wharf Docks for all invited as there are no landing facilities for ships or air vehicles" She said. "Please use the postcard to reply" She added before disappearing as the message ended.

"I don't get it? Who sent this?" Ace asked.

"Supposedly Atmos's greatest Sky Knight" Aerrow said with a shrug as he took notice of a small piece of paper that had come out of the pouch with the message box which they all saw had two two boxes printed on it, one for yes and one for no.

"Or one of our many many enemies" Stork said with a shiver.

"I don't think so Stork they would have been more direct" Piper said. "Like trying to blast us from the sky" She added, knowing Cyclonis still had a few supporters loose in Atmos.

"Well whoever it is they must think themselves good to call themselves Atmos's greatest Sky Knight" Aerrow said. "Where's Wharf Docks?" He then asked. Piper quickly dug out a map of the Terra and studied it for a moment.

"Over in the town were headed for" She replied, nodding her head in the direction of it. "And there is a small island in the water a good distance away" She added, indicating the water in front of them.

"So a detour wouldn't hurt then?" Aerrow asked.

"I don't see why not" Piper replied with a shrug.

"And that woman in the hologram was so beautiful" Finn added with a dreamy look in his eyes that he'd recently got when it came to pretty girls. "We have to go!" He insisted.

"Guys?" Aerrow then asked Junko, Stork and Ace.

"We'll probably end up doing something else just as crazy anyway" Stork replied by a way of agreeing whilst Junko and Ace gave no protests.

"Then I'll check off yes" Aerrow said as he ticked the yes box and placed it back into the falcon's pouch. But as he was halfway to drawing his hand away the falcon suddenly turned it's head and bit one of his fingers sharply. "Ow! What was that for!?" Aerrow exclaimed as he pulled back his hand examined the now bleeding finger. But the falcon gave no signs of a explanation of it's actions but instead took off in the direction of the water. From it's control room Mewtwo looked out of the window at the calm body of water and slowly raised it's paw-like hand and began made circles in the air with it. _Anyone wishing to oppose me must be worthy. I must make it so that only the strongest will reach New Island _It thought. At Mewtwo's command the water began to rise and fall and soon churning waves formed as dark storm clouds gathered in the sky and began rumbling with a terrible thunderstorm as freezing cold rain began to pour down. _Come to me if you can _Mewtwo thought as it watched it's work take shape. Far away something was brewing in very different waters. A creature lay sleeping in a pink bubble at the bottom of a bright blue pool. The creature stirred as it opened one eye. At the creature's will the bubble began to gently floating up through the water before reaching the surface where it burst, allowing it to flying gracefully into the sky. It knew where it had to go. There was a rocky island in the middle of a vast stretch of water where something needed it. It had a job to do.


	3. Chapter 3 Wharf Docks

Freezing rain pelted the Storm Hawks as they ran down through the town and towards the ferry house. With only their uniformed jackets to shelter them they weren't having much luck in staying dry. Among the pouring rain and howling wind bolts of lightning were crackling overhead brightly enough to illuminate the entire town despite the shadow of the black storm clouds whilst the following thunder seemed to rumble loudly enough to shake the ground.

"This is the worst storm I've ever seen!" Finn shouted out as they ran through it. Reaching the street closest to the water, however, they spotted their destination. A tall round white building stood alone at the very edge of the shoreline with a large wooden pier jutting out of it which was being battered by the stormy waves. "That must be the ferry house!" Ace shouted though his voice was nearly getting lost in the howling gales. Struggling against the ferocity of the storm as they raced for the safety of the building's shelter they managed to reach it's doors and scrambled through them. Stopping just on the other side of the doors the Storm Hawks fought to regain their breaths as rainwater poured off them before they looked around the building they found themselves in. The ferry house was a large bright and open room with rows of metal seats stood facing large glass doors that led out onto the pier, any view blocked by the constant downpour of water on the glass.

"That storm came out of nowhere!" Piper gasped as she pulled down her hood and tried to get most of the water out of her hair that had still managed to get wet. "It was blue skies half..." She began to say but trailed off as she and the others saw that the room was crammed full of Sky Knights and squadrons. None of the Storm Hawks had ever seen so many in one place before. There were some they recognised who were famed across the Atmos and some who they had never seen before who came from Atmos's more smaller and distant Terras.

"Storm Hawks" A familiar voice suddenly called out from a short distance away. Looking around the Storm Hawks saw Starling negotiate her way through the crowd towards them. They hadn't seen the lone Sky Knight since Cyclonia had fallen where she had been working undercover in order to find out what Master Cyclonis had been planning for her return when she had met the Storm Hawks by chance when they'd arrived to try and recover the stolen Aurora stone. She too looked as though she'd been caught out in the storm too as her deep purple hair was still dripping wet at the end of her ponytail whilst her clothes were different shades of their colours as they slowly dried.

"Starling good to see you again" Aerrow greeted as they shook hands. "You got invited too?" He asked her.

"Yeah, and from the looks of it so did everyone else in the area" She replied with a shrug. "I've already seen the Delacour's and the Third Degree Burners" She explained.

"What do you mean the boat's not going out!?" A loud angry man's suddenly voice rang above the crowds noise. It was loud and clear enough for everyone to stop what they were doing and turn their heads towards it. A young female official dressed in the ferry house's uniform was stood in front of the large glass doors that led out onto the pier with an older woman who was dressed in a formal blue suit. They were both blocking access to the doors in order to stop the man who'd spoken up from going through. Looking as though he was in his mid twenties the man was tall, well built and had long blond hair that was tied up in a ponytail. He and his squadron, all dressed in immaculate brown combat gear with golden armour, were stood at the front of the crowd that had gathered around the doors.

"Harrier" Starling said with a sigh. "Sky knight of the Rex Guardian's, they've recently taken charge of Atmosia as well as Rex and they've really been throwing their weight around since" She added with another sigh.

"Well you would I guess if you'd been given two Terras to protect" Piper said as she and the other Storm Hawks nodded understandingly, knowing it was a very high honour for a squadron to be asked to look after two Terras. Walking over to the gathered crowd and cutting through it until they were just behind the Rex Guardians the Storm Hawks and Starling could now hear others begin to complain until the official held up her hands.

"Settle down everyone! This woman is in charge of Wharf Docks" She said as the woman in the blue suit stepped forward as the crowd fell silent.

"My name is Miranda, I know these waters better than anyone and I can tell you that right now that no one is going anywhere, I've never seen a storm as bad as this and I would go so far as to say that it is as bad as the legendary storm" She added exampled which earned a few murmurs from within the crowd.

"Legendary storm?" Aerrow asked quietly. Ace nodded.

"It's an old story, it's said that years ago a storm wiped out all life in Atmos except for a few Sky Knight squadrons and in their sorrow they wept and their tears rained down and restored the lives that had been lost" He explained.

"They wept?" Finn asked. "Lame" He scoffed. Harrier was another who didn't seem worried about the legendary storm as he folded his arms defiantly and smirked.

"A storm doesn't scare me or my team, we can handle it" He said determinedly. But Miranda simply shook her head

"As guardian of this port I can't send you off into such danger" She emphasized her point again.

"So I'm sorry but the ferry will not be crossing" The official said firmly, reinforcing what Miranda had said. Looking out across the crowd the two women saw the expected sea of disappointed faces. The Rex Guardian's, however, looked even more determined than ever.

"No problem" Harrier bragged. "We have our own transport" He added with a cocky smile as he took out a small handheld radio. "Bring it in Adam" Harrier said down the line. Suddenly the sound of an engine could be heard coming from outside. The official and Miranda had, like everyone else, been distracted by the noise and had turned to face the doors behind them which the Rex Guardians took advantage off as they ran past them and out onto the pier. Waiting for them was a large cream gleaming luxury boat which bared the Rex Guardian's symbol of a regal looking swan on it's side. Surprisingly stable in the rough waters it was easy enough for it to pull up to the pier and hold in place as the Rex Guardians climbed aboard. It seemed that the status of protecting two Terras granted some advantages. "So long!" Harrier gleefully shouted back with a wave before climbing on board himself as Miranda and the official came out onto the pier.

"Wait!" Miranda shouted as the boat began pulling away from the pier. "If you get hurt there's no one to help you!" She warned as she watched the boat disappear into the storm.

"What do you mean?" Aerrow asked her as he, his team and Starling came to the doorway whilst most of the crowd behind them began to disperse and head back out into the storm on their way home. The official pointed to a poster of a young woman with red hair that had the caption 'Missing' underneath her picture that was on one of the walls.

"Our nurse Jenny disappeared two weeks ago and no one knows where she is" She explained sadly.

"She sure is pretty" Finn said dreamily, earning yet another eye roll from Piper. "You know she looks very familiar?" He added curiously. Piper was about to say something to him when another shout of protest came from the official. The Storm Hawks turned away from the poster just in time to see Starling flying out into the storm on a jet powered glider which gave her enough power and stability to travel through the high winds. Like Harrier she had taken advantage of the distraction and had set off for New Island.

"What is she thinking!?" The official called out in shock as they watched Starling take off into the storm.

"Well you can't say she's not resourceful" Aerrow joked to his team, all of them finding Starlings stunt and the official's anger amusing.

"Stop or you're under arrest!" The official shouted in a vain attempt to stop Starling. Miranda, however, rested an arm on her shoulder.

"There's no way to stop them," She told her. "They are Sky Knights and they and squadrons are adventures, heroes, they follow their instincts and won't ever quit" She said proudly as the official seemed to accept the fact too. _We are too_! Aerrow thought determinedly he turned to his team.

"We're not quitters either!" He said with enthusiasm as he stepped out onto the pier where he could see the stormy waves rise and fall against the black sky. "We have to get to that island too!" He shouted above the wind.

"There's no way to get there!" Piper shouted back over the wind as they followed him. "We can't fly even if we had our rides and we can't swim there!" She reminded him.

"But we can take a boat!" Finn shouted back with a smile.

"We could if there was one!" Piper shouted back sarcastically.

"What do you call that then!?" Finn said with a grin as he pointed to a large wooden boat that was sat on the beach just besides the ferry house.

"We're doomed" Stork groaned as he saw the other's smile and realised what they were planning on doing.


	4. Chapter 4 New Island

After managing to drag the boat off the beach and into the water the Storm Hawks were soon rowing out across the choppy waves as they travelled towards the very heart of the storm.

"I've never seen waves as bad as these before!" Junko shouted out as he helped row the large boat as it dipped and dived over the churning water. But in waves like these their boat was suddenly beginning to look very small and fragile. It looked even more minuscule when a huge towering wall of water suddenly rose up and began thundering towards them.

"And there about to get worse!" Finn screamed as he pointed to the incoming wave that they had no chance of avoiding.

"Hold on!" Ace shouted as everyone clung to the sides of the boat for dear life. This time they were lucky as whilst the wave did crash down upon the boat and soak them all down to the very bone somehow they remained afloat and were still able to travel on. But the more they rowed on the worse the waves got as soon another much taller and much more powerful wave was hurtling at them.

"Here comes another!" Stork shouted. Bracing themselves again and hoping for another lucky escape the Storm Hawks all hold on as tightly as they could. But this time they weren't so fortunate. The wave tossed the boat up into the air as if it was nothing more than a toy before it crashed back down and was smashed apart as the Storm Hawks all plunged into the storm waters. Aerrow felt the sheer force of the water pushing him down and away from the surface as he saw the wave pass overhead before he managed to start fighting against the water and head for the surface. Pushing and kicking with all his might as his lungs felt like they were about to burst he gasped for air as he broke through the surface and felt the harsh stormy rain lashing down on his face as he struggled to keep his head above the water. Looking about Aerrow saw to his relief that the others had managed to reach the surface too and seemed unhurt.

"What now!?" Piper shouted out in a panic.

"Our gliders! Aerrow our gilders! We can use them as floats!" Ace suggested. Aerrow nodded in agreement before they both began trying to bring out their retractable gliders out from small boxes attached to their belts as they struggled against the water. As they were brought out and laid flat on the surface the Storm Hawks quickly split up into two groups with Finn and Piper joining Aerrow on his glider and Junko and Stork with Ace on his.

"Where do we go now!? Do we carry on!? Or head back for the shore!?" Junko asked as they tried to figure out what to do next.

"We're mostly likely closer to New Island that the mainland!" Piper calculated.

"Either way these waves are too rough!" Aerrow called out as they tried to move in the lurching waters. "If we go to New Island we have to go underwater" He added. Everyone nodded in agreement and on the count of three took a deep breath breath before pushing down on the gliders as they dove under. Swimming underneath the waves was much easier than trying to battle through them but the black waters still did their best to churn and heave around the Storm Hawks as they fought to swim through the strong current. Every so often they were forced to surface and take a breath whilst also attempting to find their bearings among the waves and storm before diving back down. Having gone back under it wasn't long before Finn tapped Aerrow on the shoulder and indicated that they needed air and should surface again as Ace, Stork and Junko also headed upwards. The cold air filled Aerrow's lungs as surfaced as he pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked around him. The storm had vanished. Only a few minutes ago when they had last surfaced it had been there trying to drown them but now the water was calm, no waves crashed down and no rain fell from the sky. Looking up Aerrow saw that they were inside a wide circle of whirling clouds with the sky visible above them, the full moon and twinkling stars shining down brightly and illuminating the water.

"We're in the eye of the storm, it's safe" Piper gasped as she regained her breath and nerve.

"For how long though?" Stork stuttered, looking very wide eyed and terrified as he trembled slightly.

"What's that?" Junko suddenly asked as he pointed something out. Looking in the direction he was pointing in the others saw a dim yellow light flickering through the foggy night air and it didn't look far away.

"That could be New Island?" Finn guessed.

"There's only one way to find out" Aerrow said as he and Ace put their gliders away before they all began swimming in the direction of the light. Soon a large long wooden pier loomed out of the fog, the Rex Guardian's boat moored to it. The light was coming from a lantern which was being held by someone, their identity hidden by the glare of the light. As the Storm Hawks swam closer, however, they could see that it was the young woman from the holographic message. She was wearing a white box hat and a long old fashioned dark red dress with puffy sleeves with her red hair pinned up in braids. She seemed to have been expecting the Storm Hawks as she gave no sign of shock or surprise as she watched them swim up to the pier and climb up and out of the water.

"Well that was interesting" Piper said as they all tried to dry themselves off as much as possible. "How'd do you think we're going to get back?" She jokingly asked.

"I'm sure the storm will blow out soon enough and a boat will come" Aerrow reassured. "That or we could always ask the Rex Guardians for a lift" He added with a small laugh, indicating the boat besides them, as they all walked up to the waiting woman.

"So you have arrived" She said in a soft dreamy voice as they approached. "Please show me you invitation?" She asked. Hoping it was still there Aerrow took off his soaked rucksack and rummaged through it before finding and pulling out the small message box. The box automatically opened and the hologram of the woman appeared again.

"This squadron is here by invitation you may let them in" The holographic woman said to her real life counterpart.

"Wait! I knew I'd seen you before!" Finn suddenly exclaimed in the woman's direction. "Your the missing nurse Jenny from the ferry house!" He deduced as they others look at the woman a more little closely.

"You do actually look a lot like her" Piper told her. The woman looked confused.

"I don't know what you mean" She said. "I have lived on this island all my life now please follow me" She added as she turned away and began to lead them down the pier. New Island itself seemed to consist only of one large and very tall structure made up of rocky grey walls with a tower sitting in the middle of the front wall, overlooking the whole island.

"This must be the Sky Knight Palace" Piper said, looking up at the commanding structure as they walked down the pier towards it.

"Some palace" Junko replied.

"Looks haunted" Stork added.

The pier led to a tunnel that had been cut through the rock wall which took them all underneath the building itself. The woman's lantern barely lit up the dark passageway as slimy water dripped from the tunnel walls, the sound of it hitting the floor echoing through the tunnel.

"What are we getting into?" Piper whispered to Aerrow, who could only shake his head and shrug. Soon the lantern's light lit up two large stone door which swung open on their own as they approached them, allowing light to spill through into the tunnel from the room on the other side. It was a toweringly tall and very long hall with a huge dark wooded banqueting table in the centre of it. An imposing spiral staircase stood at the other end of the room which curved all the way up and into the tower the Storm Hawks had seen on their way in whilst torches in brackets stood along the walls, brightly lighting up the room. Sat at the table was the Rex Guardians and Starling who all looked up as they noticed the Storm Hawks arrival.

"Now all those worthy of an audience with my master have arrived" The woman said as she indicated those at the table.

"But there were so many at the dock?" Piper questioned.

"Only those capable of braving the storm have proven worthy in my master's eyes" The woman replied.

"Do you mean that storm was a test?" Finn asked but the woman ignored him.

"Please take a seat and wait in here, there is food, drinks and dry towels on the table" She said instead before walking out of the room through a side door, as the Storm Hawks remembered that they were all still dripping wet and probably looked a sight. As they walked over the table and setting down their bags Starling, who had also not properly dried off from her journey, came over with a pile of towels.

"You made it then?" She asked with a smile.

"Just about, we lost our boat about halfway and then swam for it" Aerrow replied as he gratefully took the towel she offered him and tried to being drying himself off.

"You swam through that storm?" Starling asked him, sounding both surprised and amused.

"Says the girl who flew though it?" Aerrow joked back.

"True but I just had the rain and wind to contend with," She laughed back just as Harrier approached them, obviously keen to be introduced. "Oh Harrier this is Aerrow the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks" Starling introduced.

"Of course, your squadron's as well known as the old one nowadays" Harrier told Aerrow as they shook hands. "I was impressed to hear what happened" He added.

"Ah most of it was luck and it quickly went beyond what planned would happen" Aerrow dismissed.

"And yet it all turned out surprising well" Starling added with a shrug. Any further talk was then halted by the woman re-entering the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" She said in her dreamy voice. "Atmos's greatest Sky Knight will know make himself known" She announced. Suddenly a bright blue light illuminated the centre of the spiral staircase as a figure floated down. Whoever it was the figure didn't look like anything Aerrow had ever seen before and didn't seem to require any flying apparatus to float down to the ground. As the blue light faded everyone saw that the creature was a tall and catlike with white fur, powerful muscular arms and legs and a long thick purple tail

"What is that?" One of the Rex Guardians muttered as they all stared at it.

"Meet Atmos's greatest Sky Knight and it's first and strongest clone, Mewtwo" The woman introduced.


	5. Chapter 5 The Trap

Silence lingered as everyone tried to overcome their shock at seeing such a creature.

"Mewtwo" Aerrow said quietly, staring at it with disbelief. No one had ever seen anything like it before and they doubted they ever would again as, whilst Atmos had many different species besides humans such as Wallops and Merbs who were all classed as equal citizens, no one truly knew all of what was living or going on in their world. Harrier was the first to break the stillness as he rose from his seat, looking both angry and insulted.

"What in the Atmos are you?" He asked, glaring at Mewtwo.

"My master is Atmos's greatest Sky Knight and strongest clone, Mewtwo" The woman repeated, she was now stood besides it like an obedient servant.

"Yes I heard you," Harrier told her a little snappily. "What do you mean a clone? A clone of what? What species?" He then asked Mewtwo, trying to remain as polite as possible.

"I am not any species, I was created from a Sky Knight's DNA but I am much stronger than the original ever was" Mewtwo replied.

"So your not a Sky Knight then?" Harrier said. "Which mean this has all been a waste of time, not to mention putting us all in the danger of that storm, you've got a lot to answer for" He added.

"I suppose I have" Mewtwo said calmly. But as it had spoken the woman standing by it's side had said the same exact words and exactly the same time, their two very different voices overlapping each other.

"What the...?" Starling tried to say as they all looked to her and then back to Mewtwo.

"She's under it's control, look at her eyes, they're glossed over and aren't reacting right" Ace pointed out. Aerrow noticed the hint of anger in his tone and guessed it was due to the damage he'd caused under Cyclonis's cruel control.

"We'll get her out of here once we've dealt with this thing" Harrier said loudly so that Mewtwo couldn't miss his words as he took a step towards the creature. "Because whatever plan you have for bringing us here has one major flaw" He boldly told it.

"And what's that?" Mewtwo asked, not sounding or looking at all threatened.

"You chose to involve Sky Knights and squadrons, we're use to traps and trickery, now let her go and surrender yourself" He ordered, his hand resting on the hilt of the large blade he was carrying on his back.

"You're in no position to threaten me" Mewtwo replied as it glared at him. Suddenly and before Harrier could even try and pull out his blade Mewtwo's eyes lit up in a bright blue light. What it was doing didn't take long to make itself known as the same blue light enveloped around Harrier as he lifted up off the ground and high into the air. No one knew how to react to the sight, even as the light seemed to clamp down on Harrier and painfully restrict his movement, causing him to cry out in pain. Aerrow then snapped back to senses.

"Let him down!" He angrily demanded, half expecting Mewtwo to ignore him. But to his surprise Mewtwo didn't and looked to him as it raised it's paw and cut through the air with it. Harrier was sent spinning across the room and landed in a large fountain that stood against the wall parallel to the table. Mewtwo then watched with satisfaction and amused as the Rex Guardians rushed to their leader's aid. Luckily the fountain had been deep enough for Harrier to escape injury and, apart from receiving a good soaking, he was quickly able to clamber out.

"You all right Harrier?" Starling asked as he and his squadron rejoined her and the Storm Hawks.

"Fine, but that thing won't be in a minute" He muttered, glaring murderously at Mewtwo. But Mewtwo didn't seem to care as it then looked to the woman and raised it's paw again.

"I have no further use for you" It said coolly as it's eyes lit up with a bright blue light again, the same light flickering around the woman for a moment before she suddenly gasped, as if waking up from a bad dream. For a moment her eyes looked around wildly at her surroundings before she fell to the floor, her hat slipping off to reveal her full face.

"It is the missing nurse!" Finn gasped as Jenny started to come around. Despite knowing Mewtwo possessed dangerous abilities Aerrow, Ace and Finn took the risk to approach Jenny, who was now slowly sitting up.

"Where am I? What am I doing here?" She asked, sounding very dazed.

"I brought you here from the ferry house, I needed someone who knew about people's physiology" Mewtwo explained as he watched the three Storm Hawks come over and help her to her feet before Finn took her back to the main group.

"Why?" Ace asked angrily as he and Aerrow walking to the front of it, standing between Mewtwo and the main group.

"I am Atmos's most powerful being, manipulating people is nothing" Mewtwo replied casually. A chill ran down Aerrow's spine. Mewtwo was starting to remind him of Cyclonis.

"So what's the plan then? You have your information I take it? You lured us here, why?" He asked, determined to get some answers.

"You have a lot of questions" Mewtwo said.

"Well if you gave a decent answer I..." Aerrow began to retaliate, annoyed with Mewtwo dodging the questions and failing to explain his actions. But that was as far as he got as Mewtwo's eye's lit up again. Aerrow felt it's power a moment before the light surrounded him. A sudden force lifted him off his feet and sent him flying backwards. He most likely would have travelled the length of the room and hit the back wall if Ace had not been stood behind him, thrown off his feet too as Aerrow collided into him. Crashing to the floor in a heap the other Storm Hawks and Starling came over.

"You ok?" Junko asked as he and Finn helped them both to their feet. They merely nodded, knowing it had been a lucky escape and could had gone worse.

"You said you're a clone? How is that possible?" Starling then asked Mewtwo, choosing her words and tone of voice carefully.

"Scientists found the remains of a Sky Knight who lived many years ago, the first Sky Knight, Mew, and then they created me right here on this island" It explain.

"And where are they now?" Piper asked nervously. Mewtwo smirked.

"My creators were selfish, caring only for what tests they could do on me, on how strong I was, so I showed them" It sneered.

"So that's what you want? Revenge? But why Sky Knights?" Harrier asked.

"Revenge is only one part of my plan, Atmos needs to be cleared of it's ignorance and weakness," Mewtwo replied, making Aerrow feel like he would only have to close his eyes and it could easily be Cyclonis standing in Mewtwo's place. "All people are weak but Sky Knight's have the most influence in this world" Mewtwo then said. "I want the weak to be replaced by stronger versions" He added.

"Replaced?" Ace asked. As if to answer his question, three previously noticed metal hatches in the floor a short distance away suddenly slid open as three figures were lifted up on mechanical lift pads. They were all perfect copies of the three Sky Knights in the room.

"That's impossible!" Piper gasped. But the Aerrow, Starling and Harrier stood on the lift pads were living breathing mirror image copies, height, weight, age, eye colour, hairstyles, clothing, weapons, they were all the same as the Aerrow, Starling and Harrier stood with the group.

"This will be a trial" Mewtwo announced.

"How could you even clone us!?" Harrier demand to know. "You said it before, you need DNA!" He spat as he stared at his own clone in shock.

"And you got it" Aerrow said both calmly and angrily as heads turned to look at him. "Oh very clever, you used your messenger falcon to gain it" He said. Everyone else had not yet come to the same conclusion but Mewtwo's smirk told them this was all true. "Harrier? Starling? Did your falcon bite you?" Aerrow then asked. He saw them look to their fingers. Like Aerrow they too both had a small mark on one of their fingers.

"Blood contains very clear DNA" Mewtwo said.

"So you're saying your clones are better than us?" Starling questioned angrily.

"They are stronger, faster and much more skilled" Mewtwo said as if it was a fact.

"You wanna prove that! I mean that's why you brought us here isn't it!?" Aerrow asked angrily, having grown tired of Mewtwo's bragging. _Let's see how strong they really are _He thought. With a smirk Mewtwo turned to the wall behind it and raised it's paw towards it. The wall then seemed to split in half as the two halves slid into the surrounding walls to reveal a vast open outside space. Floodlights level with the top of the walls in each corner sprang into life to reveal stone tiered stands surrounding a sandy arena floor.

"It's a stadium!" Finn gasped.

"A battle stadium" Aerrow added, seeing the familiar layout of chalk lines drawn on the ground he'd grown to know during his time training to become a Sky Knight at the academy.

"This is all Mewtwo's plan, we're walking straight into it!" Stork said in a worried whisper.

"I know, but it doesn't look like we have a choice, we're already trapped here" Aerrow whispered back as he looked to Mewtwo, who looked very confident.

Mewtwo and the clones lined up on the far side of the stadium whilst at the other end, closest to the door, stood the Storm Hawks, Rex Guardians, Starling and Jenny.

"So who will be my first opponent?" Mewtwo asked. Harrier stepped forward, unsheathing his blade.

"I underestimated you before but it won't happen this time" He said determinedly as he ignited his weapon. Mewtwo signalled Harrier's clone forward.

Moving first, Harrier charged forward. But this was a rookie mistake, charging in the open meant that his clone could see him coming and move out of the way. But the clone chose not too and stayed where it was. Locking swords with Harrier it stood firm. That shouldn't have been possible as, rookie the move was it was still strong enough to be able to knock the clone back. The awful truth hit Aerrow like a punch to the gut. The clone had absorbed the energy of the attack which it could now use against Harrier. Breaking the lock of the blades the clone sent an energy blast at Harrier simultaneously which sent him flying back. He hit the sandy floor with a sickening thud and didn't move even as his team rushed to his aid, their medic dropping to his knees besides him as he began examining his condition.

"Unconscious" He told everyone after a minute, allowing for a sigh of relief before the Storm Hawks and Starling looked back to Mewtwo.

"There's no way you can win" It said as Harrier clone stepped back in line with the other two clones. "These clones have been specificity engineered to be stronger than the originals" It added "So who's next?" It then asked. Aerrow stepped forward, determined to finish it, but Starling drew an arm out in front of him.

"No I'll go next" She said determinedly, not taking her eyes off Mewtwo, as she stepped forward, her clone also moving forward.

This time the clone made the first move, sending a blast from it's blade which Starling quickly countered. This fight seemed to been much more strategic and long distance to start with. Evenly matched, however, they both soon began to tire. One of them was about to give. Battling in close combat the clone got lucky and managing to find a moment to unleash a final kick. Starling was knocked back a good distance before hitting the ground and laying still. The Storm Hawks came rushing over with Ace checking her for anything serious. Soon he gave out a sigh of relief.

"She's just unconscious" He said in relief.

"Now only one left" Mewtwo then said confidently as Aerrow's clone stepped forward and stood ready to fight.

Now beyond irritation and even more determined to win for Starling and Harrier's sake Aerrow began to stand up from where he'd been knelt besides Starling, opposite Ace, who grabbed his arm.

"Careful, a regular fight isn't going to work" He told him. Aerrow nodded.

"I know, but I've got a plan" He replied before standing up and walking over to face his clone.


	6. Chapter 6 The Worst Opponent

It was very strange and oddly curious for Aerrow to see himself standing opposite him, ready to fight. The clone did seem in every way to be identical in not only looks but in the way it moved, held it's blades and no doubt in it's voice should it speak, Mewtwo had truly done a perfect job on them. Yet it's perfection could be it's downfall as Aerrow wondered whether his own weaknesses would have been copied alongside his strengths. Battling on his retractable glider had never been one of his best abilities, his skimmer nearly always being with him meant he'd never needed it. The sky above them was clear, calm and inviting. It was a risky plan but was also the only thing that hadn't been tried.

"I know how strong you are, but let's see you're speed" Aerrow said to his clone before launching his glider and taking off into the sky, knowing his clone would have one too. His clone gave a smirk before quickly following him up on it's own glider.

"What's he doing?" Piper asked worriedly as they all watched the two figures grow smaller and smaller as they flew up into the sky.

"Using his speed over power" Ace said, also sounding worried. Far above the two Aerrow's seemed to dance as they attacked and evaded each other. They flew higher still until they were mere dots in the sky to those on the ground, who were trying to keep track of who was winning, though it was impossible to tell them apart. In fact neither was, they were too evenly matched, and they were soon tiring. Beginning to descend they were still slamming into each other. Colliding together one last time they spiralled back down towards the stadium's sandy floor where a cloud of dust rose up to greet them, caused by the air disturbance from their gliders. The dust shrouded them from view as they reached ground level and when it cleared everyone saw that it had not been a gentle landing. Both gliders lay ruined on the arena floor, having taken the main impact of the fall, whilst Aerrow and his clone stood facing each other in the same positions they'd started in. They were both breathing heavily whilst their faces were filthy, sweaty and had a few cuts and bruises to them as well as their clothing having a few small rips and tears in them. For a moment, however, it looked as though the fight would continue until Aerrow's clone suddenly seemed to lose it's strength and fell to the floor on all fours, dropping it's blades in defeat. The fight in the air had been too much, Aerrow had won. Mewtwo showed no emotion at this defeat as it walked up to Aerrow's clone.

"Do you surrender?" It asked. The clone reluctantly looked up at it's master and nodded. Mewtwo then slowly stretched out it's paw. Produced out of thin air a small palm sized black ball appeared which looked as though it was protected by a forcefield of red energy bolts that crackled around it. The ball then hovered over the the clone for a moment before it opened up, kept slightly together by a hinge at one side in the middle. Aerrow's clone disappeared in a flash of red light which then travelled into the ball before it fastened shut again. The ball then hovered in the air until Mewtwo gave a casual flick of it's paw as it's eyes lit up again. The ball exploded and was reduced to ashes in a mere second, presumably taking the clone with it.

"What did you do that for!?" Aerrow shouted angrily. The clone may have been his enemy but it had shown true loyalty to Mewtwo and done nothing to harm it's plan.

"He was weak" Mewtwo responded.

"And that makes it aright to kill it?" Aerrow asked. Mewtwo didn't respond but instead stepped forward towards him.

"Now you must now defeat me" It said, standing and waiting for Aerrow to make his move. Aerrow held himself back for a moment. His reason told him that Mewtwo was stronger the the three other clones combined, that he was too worn and drained to carry on fighting. But the clone's murder had angered him and his determination to stop Mewtwo quickly silenced his reason.

"I don't what kinda game your playing but this ends now" He told Mewtwo before charging forward at him in an attempt to finish the fight off quickly. But Mewtwo simply used it's power's to pick Aerrow up off the ground and fling him back. Landing painfully on the ground it was only determination and adrenalin that allowed Aerrow to pick himself back up, his back giving a sharp twinge as he stood back up.

"Aerrow stop! You need to rest" Ace warned him as he and the others watched from a short distance behind Aerrow. But Aerrow ignored him, he had to finish this. And there was one thing he was able to do that might rival Mewtwo's power. His Sky Knight move, the Lightning Claw, had only that morning blasted five people clean off their feet whilst it could easily knock someone out too if aimed right. Centring himself Aerrow was soon enveloped in a bright blue light, that for once did not belong to Mewtwo. But as he released the large surge of energy at Mewtwo it simply raised a single paw up in defence. But it was enough, the blast suddenly stopped in front of it, hovering in mid-air like a festive light. Aerrow and everyone else stood gawking at the sight, frozen with shock. Mewtwo had taken control of pure and powerful energy. And Mewtwo wasn't content with leaving it there. Before Aerrow could even think about putting up a defence the energy blast was sent hurtling back towards him. It hit Aerrow square in the chest and sent him flying back, landing on his back a large distance from where he'd been stood with a bone shattering crash. The other Storm Hawks and remaining Rex Guardians came rushing over to him. Wincing in pain, his back screaming in protest, Aerrow managed to sit up with some help. He then tried to stand up, sweat running down his face from the effort, but was held down by Ace.

"Not yet, I'm surprised you didn't break anything from that kind of hit" He told him seriously and firmly.

"Looks like you're speed isn't good enough either" Mewtwo mocked Aerrow with his earlier plan. "And as victor I know claim my prize! You're Sky Knights!" It then announced as three more black balls appeared out of thin air. The first took Harrier in a flash of red light before any of his squadron could react whilst the second took Starling just as quickly. The third hurtled towards Aerrow, ready to take him too. But before it could something very fast sliced through it, leaving the two halves of the broken ball to drop to the floor. Looking back over his shoulder Aerrow saw Finn was holding his crossbow, which was missing it's arrow. Mewtwo, however, didn't look as if this was a problem, in fact it decided to smile. "No matter" It said as more balls appeared all around it. "Sky Knights must have squadrons" It said coldly. Shock and fear was etched on everyone's faces as the balls hurtled towards them.

"Run!" Piper shouted. Aerrow was pulled to his feet by Ace as the group ran back into the hall and quickly scattered in an effort to evade the flocks of balls. But their efforts were in vain as flashes of red light began lighting up the room. Aerrow saw a one of the Rex Guardians get taken, Finn and Junko following in quick succession as the sheer number of balls overwhelmed them. Diving out of the way as a group of the balls swooped down at him Aerrow then noticed the spiral staircase Mewtwo had descended from earlier and got the impression that if there were any controls or a power supply on the island it would be up there. Looking across the hall Aerrow also caught Ace's eye and indicated the staircase, his meaning clear. Ace nodded to show he understood before they both began running for it. Aerrow was the first to reach it and quickly began to climb up, reaching a significant height before Ace reached the foot of the stairs. But as he was about to start climbing up a group of balls cut in front of him on their way of pursuing Aerrow. It was only when he was halfway up the stairs did Aerrow notice the balls. Knowing he would never outrun them he took out on of his blades from it's sheath and began trying to blast them over his shoulder as he ran. It seemed to work as the balls stopped and scattered to avoid the blast, some of them falling victim to it and dropping out of the air, broken and fizzling. But it was a temporary relief as they soon regrouped and were replaced as they continued to pursue him. Suddenly a group of the balls got in front of Aerrow, forcing him to halt. Sheathing his blade and looking over his shoulder, knowing more were behind him, he knew he was trapped. A few flights below him Ace was also sprinting up the staircase but stopped when he saw Aerrow standing right on the edge of the banister-less stairs, a mass of the black balls surrounding him and closing in. Then Aerrow took one step too many backwards as his foot slipped over the edge, taking the rest of him with it. Luckily he managed to catch the edge with his arms, leaving him hanging off it.

"Aerrow! Hold on!" Ace shouted as he started running again. High above as he tried to cling onto the sharp edge of the stone stairs Aerrow watched as the balls slowly edged closer and closer to him. It was if they were either daring him to hold on and be taken or to let go and risk the fall into the pool of water which surrounded the foot of the staircase which he wasn't sure would be deep enough to safely cushion him. Taking a last look down over his shoulder and then back at the balls, which were edging even closer, Aerrow made up his mind.

"Ace?" He called out, knowing his uncle was on his way.

"I'm coming! Just hold on!" Ace shouted back as he ran as fast as he could.

"You remember when you said if there's danger above, drop down below?" Aerrow asked back.

"Yeah?" Ace asked back worriedly as he suddenly stopped, knowing with dread what Aerrow was planning to do.

"Good advice" Aerrow replied before taking a deep breath as he let go of the stair's edge. Ace saw Aerrow fall and froze as he watched him plummet past. Aerrow hit the water feet first and sunk below the surface of the thankfully deep pool. Surfacing with a cough and splutter he was much relieved to noticed that the balls had not followed him down whilst the rest that had been all around the room seemed to have vanished, along with everyone else. Swimming to the edge of the pool and looking around Aerrow was suddenly very suspicious and weary. The very large splash that came a moment later did nothing to calm his nerves as water sprayed down on him just before Ace resurfaced, also not wanting to risk encountering the black balls above them.

"Well that's one way of escaping, did you know that would work?" He asked as they both tried to regain their breaths.

"Course I did" Aerrow replied as they climbed out of the pool, though his smile and amused tone of voice exposed his pretence very quickly as they both then chuckled before looking around them.

"Where is everyone?" Ace asked.

"I don't know..." Aerrow began to say but trailed off as they saw a stray cluster of the balls float towards a previously unseen fourth hatch on the other side of the room and disappeared through it's open hole. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Aerrow asked Ace, who gave a small chuckle.

"After you" He replied before they both ran for the hatch, which had started to close up. Seeing this as they neared it Aerrow and Ace both threw themselves down to the ground and slid across the floor before falling down into the hatch just before it closed up.


	7. Chapter 7 The Labratory

From the moment he slid down into the hatch Aerrow could see nothing but pure blackness as he fell in free fall. It only then occurred to him that he had no clue whether the hatch was safe or not, or how deep the space below it ran down for. Then suddenly he felt the hard and painful but reassuring surface of metal, which seemed to be sliding downwards. Aerrow could only assume that it was a pipe, though where it led to he had no idea. Curving and sliding down the pipe for a few minutes it can as a surprise and when it spat them out. Both landing with a bump the first thing that Aerrow and Ace noticed, once they'd adjusted to the sudden glare of light, was that they had landed on a conveyor belt. Looking around they found that they were now in the middle of a laboratory of some kind. Dimly lit and clinical, the room had numerous panels, machines and large tubes of red fluid, which cast the room in an eerie glow.

"What is this place?" Ace asked as he and Aerrow climbed off the conveyor belt, which led to and into a large spiral shaped machine

"Looks like a laboratory, this must be where Mewtwo created the clones" Aerrow replied as he walked over to the spiral shaped machine and peered inside the large hole the conveyor belt led into. "This must be the main machine" He added as he pulled out a small torch from his jacket pocket so that he could see the room better.

"Do you think the others are in here?" Ace asked as he also brought out a torch from his jacket pocket and shone the beam around the room.

"Maybe, why don't...?" Aerrow began to say but trailed off as a bubbling sound filled the air. Looked back the large tubes they saw that the red fluid inside it was beginning to bubble. A moment later a identical, fully clothed and armed clone of one of the Rex Guardians was dropped into it from the pipe connecting the tube to the large spiral machine. It then opened it's eyes and began to look around. Not wanting to be seen by it Aerrow and Ace quickly dove behind the large spiral machine and peeked around it's corner to see what would happen next. They watched as the red fluid in the tank drained away before the glass lifted up, allowing the clone to step out. For a moment it paused to take in it's surroundings before it turned on it's heel and walked out of a door, which Aerrow and Ace guessed would lead back up to the stadium.

"So that's how Mewtwo's done it" Ace said as they came out from their cover.

"Yeah I guess so, but if they're the clones where are the originals?" Aerrow asked as he looked around, wondering how much stranger today could get. "Maybe they're still in those balls?" He suggested.

"Let's start looking then" Ace replied. Each taking a side of the laboratory they both began rummaging through the numerous cupboards and shelves that where dotted about among the machines, only to find nothing more than books and complicated paperwork. But then, just as they were about to leave and look elsewhere, something caught Aerrow's eye as he saw something glint from a dark corner off his torch beam. Walking over to where it had come from he found a large metal box on one of the few uncluttered counters. Cautiously, and unsure of what he'd find within it, Aerrow slowly unfastened the leather strap holding it shut and carefully opened the lid.

"Ace I've found them" He called, much relived to see nine of the black balls lined up neatly within the box.

"There's only nine? Did some of us escape?" Ace asked as he came over and counted up the balls.

"Let's hope so, but we need to get these one's open first, see if they're still trapped inside them" Aerrow replied.

"How do they open?" Ace asked as Aerrow carefully picked one of them up.

"I don't quite know..." Aerrow began to reply as he examined the ball in his hands. Seeing a small grove in the middle of it he traced it from it's hinge to the opposite side where he felt a slight dip. "I think there's a button" He said, indicating the dipped area.

"Only one way to find out" Ace said. Aerrow nodded before he pushed down on the dip, which gave a small click sound as the ball popped open. A moment later red light spilled out of it which then turned into a very dazed and unsteady Starling.

"Oh, my head, what happened?" She managed to ask before nearly falling over in her dizziness, stopped from doing so by Aerrow catching her and holding her as she steadied herself.

"Mewtwo's took most of the group, we think he's clone them all in here" Ace explained. Starling merely nodded as she took all this in as she looked around the laboratory. She then noticed the other balls.

"Is everyone else in there?" She asked, pointing at the box.  
"Yeah" Aerrow replied. "There's a button in the centre of them to open them" He added;

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get them out" Starling said as she picked on of the balls up and pressed the button. In a matter of minutes the remaining eight balls had been opened and their captives released, all of them wanting to know what had happened and the quickest way back up to Mewtwo. In the arena high above Mewtwo was still stood with Harrier and Starling's clones, facing the few members of the group who had escaped the black balls capture. Slowly Mewtwo raised an arm towards a large set of stone doors to the side of the stadium which then swung open to reveal the jagged coastline of the island, the raging swirl of storm clouds that surrounded the island and kept it safe in the eye of the storm were just in sight.

"I will spare your lives if you leave now, that is if you can brave the storm again" Mewtwo taunted.

"We're not going anywhere without our friends!" Piper bravely shouted from where she was stood with Stork, Jenny and one of the Rex Guardians.

"Then you will be the first to die as my clones take Atmos" Mewtwo condemned. His threat, however, failed to put any fear in the group. All but Jenny had received death threats and been in life threatening positions before whilst all of them were far too concerned for those missing to give into any fear they might have for their own lives.

"You won't get away with this! We won't let you!" The Rex Guardian shouted angrily, adding to Piper's protests. But Mewtwo just smiled, enjoying their resistance.

"You may chose to think like that but you have already proven yourselves weaker than me or my clones, we cannot be stopped now" It gleefully replied as the large stone doors on the wall behind it swung open, allowing the clones of those captured to step into the stadium and line up behind Mewtwo, like soldiers ready for battle with Mewtwo as their general.

"Atmos is mine to take" Mewtwo declared, pleased to see the group's horrified faces.

"Not so fast Mewtwo" Aerrow called out as he, Ace and the originals reached the stadium via the room behind where the rest of the group were stood. Aerrow was pleased to see Mewtwo glare in annoyance at him, looking as though it was taking in this unexpected disruption to it's plan.

"So you have released the originals" It stated quietly. "No matter, I have what I want now, you are too late to stop me" It dismissed as it indicted the small army of clones behind it.

"I don't think so Mewtwo seeing as how your going to stop all this right now" Aerrow replied confidently. Mewtwo gave a slight chuckle.

"Why would I do that?" It challenged.

"Because if you don't I will" Aerrow calmly told it.

"You think you can stop me?" Mewtwo asked.

"I've faced worse, I've stopped worse, and trust me it didn't end well the last time I did that" Aerrow warned. Again Mewtwo chuckled.

"You mean that Cyclonis woman?" It laughed. "I read about her in the records that survived the rebuild of this island, she was nothing compared to me" It added, noticing that Aerrow tensed a little.

"Fine, you had chance" Aerrow replied as he stepped forward a little, his hand reaching for one of his blades which were resting in their shoulder sheaths.

"And so did you" Mewtwo said coldly. Raising a paw in Aerrow's direction, it's eyes lighting up with a bright blue light. Aerrow suddenly felt his body painfully seize up as it fell under Mewtwo's power. Then without warning he violently lifted off the ground, up high into the air. Everyone else watched in horror as Aerrow was hurtled up towards the criss-crossed metal beams holding up one of the four cornering floodlights high above them. Aerrow himself could only shut his eyes and brace for the impact and inevitable fall, which would definitely kill him if the impact didn't. But neither came. Instead of hitting a cold and hard metal beam, as he had been expecting to, Aerrow fell into a soft absorbent surface, much like a mattress, which moulded itself around him in order to cushion the impact. Having come to rest on this strange surface on his back he took a few moments before opening his eyes. The first thing Aerrow saw was the night sky, the moon and stars peaceful shining in it, before he dared to look down to see what he had landed on. It was a large pink bubble, hovering in the air and keeping him close enough to the metal beams of the floodlight so that he could grab onto them should he need to. Then something else pink caught Aerrow's eye as he noticed for the first time the small catlike creature floating besides him.

"Looks like I got here just in time" It said in a soft female voice.


	8. Chapter 8 Mew

Despite all that he'd seen that night Aerrow still found the sight in front of him hard to believe. Small and catlike with pale pink fur and a large thin tail it was hovering eye level with him, examining him with both curiosity and delight. Aerrow wanted to ask, 'What are you?' but thought it would sound too rude, seeing as it had just saved his life, so he rephrased his question.

"Who are you?" He asked. The creature smiles.

"That's a very long story" She replied.

"Then make it short" Aerrow told her.

"I'm Mew" She introduced. From her name alone Aerrow knew who she was.

"Mew? As in the first Sky Knight, Mew?" He asked. Mew smiled and nodded. "But you lived generations ago, how can you still be alive?" Aerrow then enquired. A glint appeared in Mew's eye.

"All those legends about my powers? There's some truth in them" She replied. "So who are you then?" She asked.

"Aerrow, Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks" Aerrow replied.

"That explains your head for heights then" Mew chuckled, indicating the long drop down to the stadium where everyone else was looking up in their direction.

"What is that thing?" Piper asked as stared at Mew in amazement,

Whatever it is Mewtwo doesn't seem happy" Stork replied, indicating Mewtwo, who seemed very focused on the newly arrived creature, glaring at it dangerously.

"Wait a second, Mewtwo said it was created from Mew, as in the first Sky Knight, Mew" Piper said "She was a known Animagus, that could be her other form" She theorised.  
"That's impossible! Mew should be long dead" The Rex Guardian said, though he failed to come up with an alternative suggestion.

"But look how they look alike, and who else in Atmos could have that much power?" Piper asked him back. Once again the Rex Guardian failed to provide an alternative suggestion. High above Aerrow was still resting on the large pink bubble, though he was starting to wish he was back on solid ground. As he couldn't just yet he decided to get as much information as he could.

"I'm guessing your here because of Mewtwo?" He asked. Mew nodded before looking down at her clone for the first time.

"I thought I felt a disturbance in the air, an unbalance large enough to bring me here" She replied, somehow amplifying her voice so that everyone down in the stadium could hear her too. "What you are doing here must end tonight, there is no point pitting these squadrons against each other, it will solve nothing" She then told Mewtwo in a very wise sounding tone. Mewtwo, however, seemed beyond talking.

"I and my clones are the strongest beings in Atmos! We alone will decide the point of what we do!" It shouted before cupping it's paws together as it produced a bright blue ball of energy which it then sent hurtling at her. But Mew merely somersaulted out of the way, allowing the ball of energy to shoot past her and carry on into the night sky, burning out like a singular firework. Mewtwo, however, wasn't going to stop there. Determined to take care of it's original it sent blast after blast at her at a furious pace. But each time Mew easily evaded the attack as the bright energy balls lit up the night sky behind her. Aerrow was suddenly feeling much more vulnerable sitting on Mew's bubble as the bombardment passed by with only inches to spare. Then one of the blasts, as Aerrow thought they inevitably would, sliced through the bubble and sent him falling out of the sky. Luckily he'd been close enough to the beams of the floodlight to grab hold of one and stop himself, the breath getting knocked out of him as he crashed chest first into it and clung on for dear life. Falling from this height, however, wasn't the only danger as Mewtwo, becoming more and more raged at Mew's pacifist behaviour, launched into the air in a attempt to grab the smaller creature by hand. It's patience seemed to be at breaking point as Mew, being much quicker, still refused to fight as she zigzagged across the sky and avoided Mewtwo's attacks. "Why will you not defend yourself? Are you afraid to fight me?" Mewtwo asked her as it paused for a moment. Mew shook her head.

"I am not afraid of fighting you, I choose not to because there is no point of doing so" She calmly replied. This angered Mewtwo again as it started aiming balls of energy at her again. This time, being at close range, one of them hit it's target. Slamming into Mew, the blast carried her up into the sky and out of sight as a sudden stillness fell over the stadium. For a moment nobody moved or took their eyes off of the sky. Then Mewtwo, satisfied that the problem had been dealt with, floated back down to the ground with a triumphant smile on it's face. But Mewtwo's satisfaction didn't last long as a few moments later a strange rippling sound could be heard growing louder and louder. Sounding much like a skimmer's engine, it was coming from the sky above the stadium. A light, similar to a shooting star, was streaking through the air towards the stadium. As it drew closer, however, everyone saw that it was a light pink energy blast. Aerrow had to shut his eyes and turn away from it as it streaked past him on it's way into the stadium where it slammed into Mewtwo. A cloud of dust had been kicked up and when it cleared everyone saw that it had knocked the powerful clone off it's feet, though only temporarily as Mewtwo quickly recovered itself just as Mew flew back into view.

"So you do have some fight in you" Mewtwo stated, looking pleased that it would get it's fight. "Now we will decide which of us is stronger! My powerful copies or the weak originals, with the future of Atmos at stake!" It declared.

"This is not a fair fight! You have altered your clones to be much stronger, I would have assumed you'd want to prove they are better even when they are equal?" Mew asked. Mewtwo considered for a moment.

"Very well, I shall disable my clones additional strength and prove them better" It replied gleefully, happy about getting it's own way. Mew if anything looked sad.

"As equals the real squadrons won't lose to the clones, a person's strength comes from the heart, from something to fight for, which your clones have not experienced" She said with the air of someone very wise. Mewtwo glared at her.

"You think you are better because you were here first! We are stronger even without additional strength!" It announced determindly. "Let the battle begin!" It commanded. The clones immediately obeyed and ran for their original opposite, weapons out, ignited and ready for a fight. The originals, knowing they didn't have much of a choice, prepared to defend themselves whilst those who hadn't been cloned grouped together in one corner of the arena and watched fearfully as they fighting began.

It was more brutal than anyone could have imagined. The stadium was littered with pairs of originals and clones, each one stopping at nothing to stop their opposite. Those in the corner could no longer tell the difference between the pairs and could do nothing to help for fear of accidentally mistaking a friend for a foe. It looked much worse from Aerrow's perspective, high above on the beams of one of the floodlights. He could see the two Junkos face off, matching each other punch for punch, their strength equal whilst the two Finns each had their crossbows out and aimed and were circling each other in a heated stand off, each unwilling to shoot first. Starling and Harrier found themselves fighting in the same corner of the stadium with their clones, causing colours of gold and purple from the two sets of identical blades to illuminate the surrounding walls as they clashed against one another. Above the fray Mew and Mewtwo were floating within their own protective bubbles, using them to ram each other, sparks of powerful energy flying off them when they collided before pulling away in preparation of their next attacks. Also high above the main battle Aerrow was still stuck one one of the floodlight's beams and was growing more and more worried, not for his own predicament, but rather everyone else's as he watched the vicious fighting unfold below him. Looking down, unnerved by the height as Mew had rightly guessed, he saw that the beam below him was in reach of his feet, as was the next one if he climbed down, and the one after that. Taking a deep breath he very cautiously, stepped down onto the beam below him. Once he got the hang of it and got a rhythm going Aerrow was surprised by how quickly he was able to climb down. Soon the stone base of the floodlight looked in touching distance and Aerrow knew he was almost there as he looked down one final time to check where to put his feet. That was when he saw the one flaw in his plan. The beams stopped a few meters from the ground, leaving him unable to reach it unless he dared himself to jump.


	9. Chapter 9 The Showdown

Stopping on the very last beam he began calculating the risk. The ground below him was solid stone and a wrong landing on it from the height he was at would probably break his ankles. Yet he couldn't stay where he was, not when his squadron were out fighting for their lives. Carefully lowering himself down so that he was dangling off the beam by his hands he then let go and fell to the ground where he luckily managed to tumble into a roll, absorbing the impact for him, and leaving him with only a few grazes and bruises. In the stadium, with the battle raging, those left watching were growing more and more desperate to try and stop the fighting.

"What's the point of this battle!?" Jenny cried out in pity. ""It doesn't matter who is is better or stronger, they're all alive!" She added.

"Mewtwo doesn't care, he just wants to win" The Rex Guardian spat in disgust as he looked up at Mewtwo, who was still duelling with Mew in the air.

"They're all too evenly matched, this battle won't have a winner" Stork said in a panic just as Piper looked up at the floodlight which Aerrow had been standing on a few minutes ago.

"Where do you think Aerrow is?" She asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but looks like he's found a way down in any case" Ace replied, also sounding worried as he looked at the floodlight before turning back to the battle. "This is terrible, all it proves is that fighting like this is wrong" He added, not knowing how much longer the fighting could last. Having safely landed on the ground Aerrow had quickly navigated his way onto the tiered stone seating and around to where the group in the corner was stood.

"Aerrow!" Piper called in relief when she spotted him in the stands above, drawing everyone's attention from the fighting.

"Is there a way down from here?" He called, looking around for access to the stadium floor.

"Doesn't look like it, your going to have to..." Ace began to say by trailed off as Aerrow came to the same conclusion and swung over the stand's barrier as he jumped down to them. Managing to land on his feet as he hit the sandy stadium floor Aerrow headed for those stood in the corner.

"Good to see you again, you ok?" Ace asked as he reached them.

"Yeah I'm fine" He replied before they all turned their attention back to the unfolding battle. The initial chaos and furious pace of the fight had now calmed and slowed down, not by victories but because of the state of exhaustion all those fighting were in. "We have to stop this! It's killing them all!" Aerrow said determinedly as he saw both Harrier and his clone drop their blades, too weary to continue using them.

"How though? We can't intervene without knowing who's on our side" Ace replied, the problem frustrating them all.

"I think this fight will carry on as long as Mew and Mewtwo continue to fight" Piper said quietly as she looked up at the two powerful creatures. But they all knew that the originals and clones wouldn't last that long. Some pairs had already fallen to the floor in their exhaustion, unable to carry on. High above, Mew and Mewtwo didn't seem to have lost any energy and were fighting just as ferociously as when they had started. Suddenly they descended down into the centre of the arena, their energy bubbles kicking up a vicious dust cloud that sprayed over everyone and quickly stopped what little fighting was still going on. Mew and Mewtwo dissolved their bubbles as they reached ground level with Mew hovering in the air eye level with her clone as it stood facing her.

"Why will you not admit that we are the superior beings?" Mewtwo asked her.

"You cannot carry on with your plans, they will do nothing but bring destruction to the world" Mew replied, still remaining calm despite the hostility being aimed at her.

"I will decide what my plans will accomplish!" Mewtwo shouted back, proving that it was beyond any persuasion or reasoning. Despite this Aerrow though it was worth one last try.

"Mewtwo listen to her! This is pointless!" He called out as he stepped forward a little. "Look around you, the fight's over and nobody's won, nobody will ever win!" He added as he indicated the exhausted fighters, all of them sat or stood around the arena, unable to continue fighting each other. For a moment it looked as though he'd managed to get through to the clone as a moment of hush fell over the stadium. But then Aerrow saw Mewtwo sneer, a sneer he'd seen before on Cyclonis's face when she thought she'd won or been in the right.

"I will win" It declared before beginning to draw up and charge it's powers, emitting powerful looking waves of blue energy, as it looked to be preparing one final attack. Mew was doing the same as waves of pale pink energy also began to envelope her. "And this will end it!" Mewtwo then vowed as both it's and Mew's energy reached their peak and turned bright white with power.

"They're going to kill each other!" Piper cried fearfully, half covering her eyes with her hands, barely unable to watch.

"Never mind that! Those blasts look powerful enough to destroy the whole island!" The Rex Guardian shouted over the rippling noise generated by the powerful attacks.

"There must be a way to stop them!" Aerrow frustratingly shouted, unable to just standing by and watching it happen. It looked as if Mew and Mewtwo were nearly ready to release their attacks as they seemed to brace themselves and aim towards each other, the light of their attacks reaching near blinding point. Aerrow now realised that no words or cries of protests would stop them, only a only a very bold, if not stupid, act of action would have any impact. Before he could think about it twice he ran for the centre of the stadium, just as the Mew and Mewtwo released their blasts of energy.

"Aerrow wait!" Ace called out among the others cries and gasps coming from everyone as they watched him run out. Aerrow reached the centre of the arena just as the two blasts collided together. There was nothing anyone could do. One moment Aerrow was running into the centre of the stadium, the next he had disappeared in a flash of bright white light. Everyone had to shield their eyes from it and wait a few moments before the light began to fade, allowing them all to see what had happened. Aerrow hung in the air for a moment, a dull glow surrounding him, before he crumpled to the sandy floor and laid there on his back, unmoving. A terrible silence fell over the stadium as everyone stood and stared, too frozen with shock to react. Then they snapped awake, all those uncloned and the originals running over to him.

"Fool! Trying to stop our battle" Mewtwo said quietly. The Storm Hawks were the first to reach Aerrow with Starling, Jenny and the Rex Guardians coming to a halt just behind them.

"Is he...?" Piper tried to ask, her worry and fear numbing her enough to prevent her speech, as Ace knelt down besides him, picking up his wrist to check for a pulse. His suddenly pale face and lack of response confirmed everyone's worst fears. The fight had claimed it's first casualty. Nobody seemed able to move or speak or react in anyway as the shock sunk in, quickly followed by a cold numbness.

"Ace are you sure there's...?" Starling began to ask, her voice quiet and shaken, before she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. For a moment it looked as if Ace hadn't heard her until he sat back on his knees and shook his head, the only thing he seemed capable of doing in his shock. Starling gave a small gasp as she placed her hands over her mouth as she tried to fight back a sob, though she wasn't really succeeding. Piper was also on the verge of tears as one by one they all overcame their shock and found their emotions again. Soon they were all shedding tears, including the clones as they all watched from around the stadium. They were all crying without realising it, a natural and instinctive feeling taking over them as both originals and clones united in their grief. The tears that were flowing from everyone's eyes seemed to shimmer in the glare of the bright floodlights. But then they grew brighter, as if emitting their own light, and began sparkling like crystals, growing brighter still and larger as they seemed to find each other and group together as they fell from people's faces. Despite being in a walled stadium a sight breeze had picked up, lifting the tears up into the air and making them form a sparkling spiral which began to circle in the centre of the stadium. It only when the spiral began to grow and glow with a soft white light did everyone notice it. They watched in awe as the spiral slow down before it lost it's form as the tears began to rain down. As the droplets came down they seemed to fall on Aerrow in particular, who's body then began to glow with the same soft light as the spiral. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths in anticipation, as if expecting something, though not knowing what, to happen. Then the glow around Aerrow faded and nothing immediately happened. Everyone quickly lost what little hope the strange spiral of tears had given them and were beginning to try and think of what would happen next when a small groan made them all stop and look back down at Aerrow.


	10. Chapter 10 Wharf Docks Again

The immediate thought everyone question was whether or not they'd imagined the noise. Aerrow remained unmoving and unresponsive on the ground, casting doubt that he had made the noise. Yet had he? It had come from his direction and no one else had made it. Ace was closest to him and watched Aerrow very closely.

"Did he just...?" He tried to ask as everyone else gathered round a little more closely.

"You don't think...?" Harrier began to ask.

"I don't..." Ace tried to reply but trailed off as they all saw Aerrow's face suddenly tense up as he groaned again, moving his hand to his head, his eyes flickering open.

"Oh my head! What happened?" He asked as he slowly came round and managed to sit up.

"Your..." Ace tried to say, a mixture of joy and shock preventing any further words.

"What?" Aerrow asked as he looked from Ace to the others, all of them having the same shocked, relieved and tear stained faces.

"It must have been the tears" Piper said quietly as she subconsciously wiped her eyes dry.

"Just like in the legendary storm" Finn added as Aerrow was helped to his feet by Ace. As everyone began greeting Aerrow and started explaining to him what had happened Mew and Mewtwo stood watching from either side of the stadium.

"He sacrificed himself to save the others, I pitted them against each other, but not until they set aside their differences did I see the true power they all share deep inside" Mewtwo told Mew, who nodded in agreement. The boy's action had originally confused Mewtwo but now it understood. "The fighting will stop" It announce as everyone looked to it. "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are" It said before turning Aerrow. "Thank you for showing me that not all people are in this world are selfish or evil" It thanked him.

"No problem" Aerrow replied, happy that it had all ended peacefully.

"So..." Stork said as he cleared his throat. "What happens now?" He asked as everyone realised that they still had deal with what would happen next, most of them still had their clones stood around them.

"I suppose we should report this to the Sky Knight council?" Harrier suggested, though he didn't sound committed to doing so.

"Them?" Starling scoffed. "Come on Harrier, they wont find any of this possible, a few hours ago none of us would have" She added, causing a mummer of agreement to rise from the others.

"Perhaps I could suggest a solution?" Mew asked. "Atmos has many myths and secrets, I think that what has occurred tonight must become one of them, that we should merely fade from sight" She suggested.

"But where will you all go?" Piper asked.

"Somewhere where I have remained hidden and have lived in peace for many years, far away from the rest of Atmos where we will never be found" Mew replied, looking towards Mewtwo, who nodded in agreement. A few moments later a soft blue light appeared around it, Mew and the clones before they all lifted up off the ground and into the air, pausing to face the group on the ground for a moment.

"Can our secret be kept with you?" Mewtwo them.

"It can, good luck" Aerrow replied. They then all watched as those in the air climb higher and higher into the night sky before they disappeared from sight.

"What do we do now?" Finn asked as they were all left alone in the stadium.

"Back to the mainland I suppose" Starling replied. "Harrier? Fancy giving us a lift back?" She asked Harrier with a smile, indicating herself, the Storm Hawks and Jenny.

"Of course, there's plenty of room" He replied. They then all started to make their way out of the stadium and back towards the dock where the Rex Guardian's boat was moored. But they didn't get far as a very particular feeling overcame them.

"Does anyone else feel a little odd?" Junko asked, placing a hand on his stomach. No one replied but they all could agree that something didn't feel right. It was a tingling feeling which had suddenly started running through their bodies, making them all feel very light and weightless. But then they didn't just feel light, they felt light headed and dizzy as the stadium around them suddenly become unclear and hazy.

"What's happening?" Aerrow managing to ask as he fought to keep his vision in focus. Then everything faded in a bright white light and they knew no more.

Stormy waves battered the coastline whilst howling winds drove the pouring rain into the town build on it. The large brightly lit ferry house provided a welcome relief and shelter to the dozens of Sky Knights and squadrons, all of them growing impatient with the lack of a boat they'd been told would take them to New Island.

"I'm sorry but there are no boats going out today, even if there wasn't a storm, I don't know who sent you these invitations but no arrangements have been made with this ferry house" The young woman who worked for the ferry house stated, trying to quell the annoyed and disappointed crowd standing in front of her and the woman in charge of the ferry house, Miranda as the crowd stood in a semicircle around the large glass doors leading out onto the pier. Stood at the opposite side of the room to this were the Storm Hawks, dripping wet and breathless as though they'd just come in from the storm.

"Wharf docks? We're back at Wharf Docks?" Piper questioned, looking around in bewilderment.

"And we're soaking wet? How did that happen?" Finn asked.

"I think we've gone back to before we left, Mewtwo must have sent us back" Aerrow guessed just as Starling appeared from out of the crowd, spotting them she ran over.

"How are we all back here?" She asked as she reached them, she too soaked through from being out in the storm.

"Mewtwo we're guessing," Ace replied.

"Storm Hawks, Starling" Harrier called as he and his squadron came over to them. "Everyone has Mewtwo's invites but there's no scheduled boat, none of the staff know anything about it" He said in puzzlement.

"And I'm guessing they never will, Mewtwo's somehow took us back in time and stopped anyone from going to the island like we did" Starling explained.

"That explains why everyone's confused" Harrier said.

"You must listen to me!" Miranda then announced to the crowd. "You must all find shelter, I have never seen a storm as bad as this one before" She told them.

"Excuse me please!" Jenny suddenly announced as she came over to the crowd "If anyone needs shelter until the storm passes I would be happy to open our medical centre, please follow me" She announced as she led those who wanted shelter over to doors leading into the medical centre. On her way she spotted the Storm Hawks, Starling and the Rex Guardians and gave a small wave, her look asking them what had happened. They could only smile back and shrug, noticing that Jenny's missing poster had vanished from off the wall.

"Do you think we should try and help at all? Being the only one's who know what's actually happened" Harrier then asked.

"I think, on this occasion, we should just walk away" Aerrow replied, voicing everyone's immediate answer.

"Probably best" Piper agreed.

"They'd never believe us anyway" Starling added. "So what are you all doing now?" She then asked them.

"We should really head back to Atmosia, two Terras leaves you very little spare time" Harrier replied.

"And we need to get to a parts store, the Condor needs fixing" Aerrow added.

"Now? There's a storm out there remember?" Finn reminded them.

"Obviously we'll go after it's died down" Piper told him, rolling her eyes.

"Look! It's a miracle!" The young woman standing next to Miranda suddenly called out, pointing to the doors leading out onto the pier as a great commotion rose from the surrounding crowd.

"I wonder what's going on?" Ace asked. Just then a stream of sunlight poured through the entrance doors behind them, catching their attention. Heading outside they found that the storm had vanished, to be replaced with the bright sunny weather the day had begun with.

"Where'd it go? What happened?" Stork asked.

"Mewtwo's left, so's it's storm" Aerrow guessed.

"Do you think we'll ever see them again?" Junko asked.

"Probably not, and maybe that's for the best" Piper replied. "Anyway, parts, the Condor won't fix itself" She added.

"Yes and we should be on our way" Harrier said, indicating himself and his team.

"Me too, lots to be done" Starling agreed. As the group went their separate ways none of them noticed Mew, floating high above in the cover of one of the few clouds in the sky, watching them leave before it took off into the clear blue sky.


End file.
